Tallit for a Sword

Grab a sword and you will die with it, says Jesus. Sell your cloak and buy a sword, but only if you do not already have one, hints Jesus. Are these contradictions, does God want us to fight with swords or have we somehow misinterpreted this message? Let’s find out.

Introduction

As always, we are, of course, going to provide to you a pure biblical perspective; however, in order to answer our audience fully, we must also spend a little time with the world. You will see how Jesus was not asking His disciples to arm themselves, but rather you will find that He was testing them when He told them to buy a sword. Furthermore, you will see how this was not just a test, but it was also a warning, one that should be taken quite seriously.

We hear too many Christians trying to use Luke 22:35-38 to justify the threat of violence, but we are here today to tell you quite honestly that you are very much in error. Much of the issue boils down to a single passage in the book of Luke and we tell you honestly that you have misunderstood its meaning and have effectively rejected our LORD and Savior, Jesus.

Hidden in Plain Sight

It is very easy to misunderstand the Gospel and Luke is no exception, especially chapter 22, verses 35 to 38, because as Gentiles, we lack a critical understanding of Jewish culture that is the key to understanding the true meaning of Luke 22:35-38.

35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Above is our questionable passage found in Luke 22:35-38, so what we need to do in order to fully understand this passage is to look up the original Greek, so to see which Greek words were used, as doing so often tells us more than the English translations.

Tallit for a Sword

The word “garment” was translated from the Greek word, “himation”. In ancient Greece, the “himation” was not just any sort of garment, as the Greek lexicon might have you believe; on the contrary, the himation was worn over clothes, like a cloak, and would have been the closest thing that the Greeks had to compare to the Jewish “Prayer Shawl”.

Let’s not forget that Jesus and His disciples were faithful Jews and would have, indeed, worn a “Prayer Shawl”, because they would cover themselves with it while praying. In Hebrew the “Prayer Shawl” is called a “tallit” and the Jews were commanded by God to wear them while praying, as is described in the book of Numbers 15:38 and in Deuteronomy 22:12.

Therefore, allow us to translate Luke 22:36 using what we have just learned:

Then Jesus said, “But now, he that has a purse, let him take it, and treat it as a beggars-bag: and he without a sword, let him sell his tallit, and buy one.

Now that we have this verse in proper context, we can easily see that Jesus was testing the faith of His disciples. We know this because Jesus effectively said to His disciples, “those without faith in me, go buy a weapon to protect yourself”, because in Ephesians 6:17 we learn that the true “sword” of faith is the word of God and with Jesus was the word:

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

In order to understand Luke 22:36 fully, we must now turn to Matthew 26:51-52:

51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.

52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Here is a passage that must be overlooked, because upon reading it, one would immediately detect a contradiction, assuming that we can be counted amongst the lot of those who believe that Luke 22:36 is suggesting that one buy weapons for their personal safety. What we are failing to consider is that we are trading our tallit for a sword.

In other words, one is effectively trading ones faith for a weapon; therefore, in turn, one is literally rejecting the offer of Salvation and attempting to bring about ones own salvation by foolishly relying upon oneself. The Bible says that no man can save himself and if he tries to save his own life, he will surely lose it. Honestly, the word of God cannot be more clear.

Conclusion

When Jesus asked His disciples if any of them had a sword, at least 10 said “No” and at least 2 said “Yes” and they showed Jesus actual swords. They were Jewish and should have known better than to consider selling their tallit, as God commanded them to wear it. Not even they understood the reference and their chance is gone, but you can reconsider.

We are asking you to sell your sword and to buy back your tallit. Place your faith in the word of God, which is your greatest sword of all, and love your enemies as yourself. Be reminded that we have a mighty God and that He truly wants to fight in your place.

For it is written, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

DIVINECODERS

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hi sar…an eye for an eye a hand for a hand and a foot for a foot refers to how “those who maim another” should be punished…civil matters involved suits…i’m pretty sure….though there is a punishment of death for a woman who injures a man’s testicles if he is in a fight with her husband….

dear divine coders….you seem to want to read into the scripture…he told them to sell the tallit and buy a sword…that is not a test…he is giving direction…God stopped abraham from killing Isac…jesus said two swords were enough….to be coaunted among the transgressors….and a sword is only a weapon if you are ready to use it….a rock is a weapon…a pencil is a weapon, a belt is a weapon…with malice of forethought , anything is a weapon…including a strong shoelace….beut he talked about selling a tallit and buying a sword, to be reconed among the transgressors….what is your IQ and what level do you read on?….have you taken a reading comprehension test?….what percentile do you read in….you sound like the snake handlers of alabama who confused “ye shall tread on serpants” with “thou shalt tread on serpants”….one is a promise, the other is a commandment……you can have the whole bible memorized and still be illiterate…sincerely, do a reading comprehension test…and see what percentile you read in….and take an IQ test….you sound like Jehova’s witnesses who wont take blood transfusions…but do they trim off every stich of fat from a steak, and do they wring out every drop of blood?…….I suggest you read the catechism, and the orthodox interpretation of scripture…..your last “disarming” of me was nonsense…..how could telling someone to do something, be a test?……he chose them because he knew their hearts would be faithful. and even Judas could have been saved if he didn’t hang himself….he even told peter that he would deny him before the cock crew…..did he reject peter?……and if it were a test, why bring in the pivotal phrase “reckoned with the transgressors”?……..so really , what percentile do you read in?……and that hairsplitting about by the sword,and with the sword, that’s patent nonsense too…..Just like the JW’s who rewrote scripture to suit their interpretations…..in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God…was rewritten as In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was a god…..because they believe Jesus was created…so…scripture must be wrong, because their interpretation was so sacred to them…..I appoint magistrates over you with great swords…..cops carry guns to protect people, so do cops go to hell for killing someone in the line of duty?……knowing that God appointed magistrates?

How are the multitude going to consider Jesus as a transgressor for having swords that they didn’t/couldn’t have known He had? You’re not getting this.

Ask yourself, “Why did the multitude approach Jesus with weapons?” and understand that they wouldn’t have known that He said what He said in Luke 22:36. Why? Because they weren’t present for the speech, even Judas had left the group by this time.

Also, you are missing the point that Luke 22:37 is a reference to Isaiah 53:12. Worse over, you fail to realize that Jesus said Luke 22:36 and shortly thereafter He was arrested. Thus, AGAIN, your argument fails, because obviously there wouldn’t be enough time to fulfill this supposed request. That alone should convince you that you are wrong.

So, if the swords weren’t for the crowd, then what/who were they supposed to scare? And, how exactly did the swords hurt Jesus’ reputation? Where exactly in the Bible does it mention that Jesus was crucified for having weapons? We can certainly show you were it states that He was crucified for Blasphemy. So, it would appear that the whole thing about trading one’s tallit for a sword would be pointless if one were to take your approach and attempt to push a theory based on your misunderstanding of Luke 22.

You became immediately wrong the moment you stood behind an argument that is essentially one that states that Jesus told His disciples to buy swords so that it would give the impression that Jesus was some violent transgressor in order to fulfill Isaiah 53:12.

You ignore all evidence against said argument and resort to ad-hominems to give the appearance of a response. For your next reply, we suggest that you spend more time proving your case than you did trying to attack us personally.

Thanks for sharing!

DIVINECODERS

barbulov

February 10, 2013 at 5:50 pm

he said that he was supposed to be counted among the transgressors, and told them to buy swords, they had two, that was enough….to be counted as transgressors….I mean really…can you read?…..you seem to think that by reading that it was some kind of a test, you can imply some nonsense interpretation…where is the test?….”it is sufficient”…so were tow apostols damned fo rhaving swords?….to cops go to hell for shooting armed assailants?….really…you guys are illiterates….where is the test?.in telling someone to go buy a sword?…..if they do it, they are obeying the lord, if they don’t, they are disobeying the lord…..where do you see a test in this?…you bring everything into the discussion and cloud the issue with irrelevancies….where is the test?…..did two apostols go to hell for having swords?…..If I was standing in front of jesus and he told me to go buy a sword, I would go buy a sword…just what are you talking about?…..where is the test….and what kind of a test is that anyway?….a stupid one…he tells them to go buy a sword and they have swords, why didn’t he chastise them for having swords? because swords are evil or something….enough readers have disproven your point, so why do you keep arguing? and Why does God say that he appoints magistrates with swords?….and when a cop kills someone in the line of duty, he goes to hell?……you are clearly out to lunch and have too much invested in your personal interpretation….but go get a reading comprehension test done and see if you score above the 70th percentile….ad hominem…no…I am just saying you are illiterate…if you take it personally, without taking a reading comprehension test that is your problem…I thik you have put yourself in a false position of “authority” and will mislead worse illiterates than yourselves…tha’t all…is that your plan?….where did you study theology?…go buy a sword….where is the test?….if they do it, they are wrong, and if they don’t they are disobedient….no way to pass that test….and no matter how much scripture you quote it all seems to be irrlelevant…just to prove your unfounded supposition that Jesus was testing them…really….I think you are part of the 10 000 sects of “christianity” with no apostolic succession, coming up with personal interpretations…a heretic…just where do you see a test?…..what is the nature of the test…and how could they pass a test by disobeying the lord?…..see now….read the catechism….and stop relying oon some strore front interpretation…

You keep saying that same thing over and over and we keep providing ample proof that you are wrong. Why haven’t you addressed any of our points? They are only irrelevant to you, because they hurt your absurd case.

You asked if we believe that the two disciples that had swords were damned and went to hell. The answer is, “No”. We have already shown you many reasons why.

Perhaps this will help you:

If you agree that Luke 22:36 can/should be interpreted as “sell your TALLIT for a sword”, then you should be able to understand that to do so would violate God’s law.

Obviously, this isn’t how we interpret this verse, therefore this so-called “sword” must be proverbial, perhaps the “sword” is meant to represent the “Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17)

Sorry, that’s irrelevant to you, yet the fact that your argument is in constant violation of reality and logic has no effect upon your willingness to believe absolute nonsense.

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

Thus, it should be clear that Jesus was not encouraging one to sell his tallit for a sword, nor was He trying to give the impression of being an outlaw by carrying weapons, rather He was explaining that when He dies, He will fulfill Isaiah 53:12.

the key word in the story is “reconed”….”he was reconed”..with the transgressors….if his apostols had swords they world be considered as transgressors…by appearance…yet….owning a sword does not make you a transgressor…it merely gives the appearance…if there is no mallace of forethought, owning a sword is the same as owning a shovel…you could kill with either one….Jesus was not ever a transgressor…but in order to be reconed with the transgressors they had to have swords….this was done to fulfil scripture, not to reccomend violence…see my point?…..being “reconed” as a transgressor, is different than being a transgressor…….

Jesus was reckoned as a transgressor when He sat and ate with prostitutes and tax collectors.

Weapons are demonized in free societies today for political reasons and power grabs, while in ancient times, weapons were likely considered a necessity, especially while traveling (e.g. robbers), so we doubt that having a weapon would actually make others think ill of you, considering that most folks more than likely had a weapon or two themselves.

Thanks for sharing!

DIVINECODERS

barbulov

February 10, 2013 at 12:57 pm

considering thatthe Lord said “he who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword , i still hold to my interpretation of the parable hinging on the word “reckoned”…perhaps the “reckoning ” hinges on how the soldiers perceived the cutting off of the ear….it could be that they reckoned the cutting off as sinful, and payed no heed to the restoration of it…furthermore, carrying a weapon , at any time, would distinguish one as , ready to maim or kill with it…so…I still hold that the word “reckon ” is the instrumental term….
I sincerely doubt that everyone carried a sword, even then…..

considering thatthe Lord said “he who lives by the sword shall perish by the sword

Actually, this is NOT what Jesus said, and we notice a lot of Christians making this mistake. It’s kind of like saying “For all intensive purposes” instead of “For all intents and purposes”, you might have heard someone say it that way and it stuck, but anyway here is what is actually written in Matthew 26:52:

“52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”

So, that would be perish “with the sword” not “by the sword” -a huge difference.

As was said in our earlier response, Jesus was simply telling His disciples about His end (i.e. how He was going to die) as is described in Isaiah 53:12 -that He would be accounted as an outlaw, which is precisely what happened.

Jesus was accused of many things. To name a few, He was accused of breaking the Sabbath, eating with Prostitutes and Tax Collectors, being demon possessed, and, worst of all, He was accused of Blasphemy and this accusation is the one that got Him killed.

When the multitude of people came to arrest Jesus, He was already perceived as a criminal, for the aforementioned reasons, which is why they came with weapons, thus provoking His response recorded in Matthew 26:55, which states:

“In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.”

And, to thoroughly disarm your theory, we will have you notice the following facts about Luke chapter 22:

1. Judas left the story in verse 3.
2. Jesus talked about “buying a sword” in verse 36.
3. The multitude of people arrive in verse 47 with Judas.
4. Peter smites the servant in verse 50.
5. Jesus heals the servant in verse 51.

Thus, the crowd, including Judas, would not have known that Jesus said what He said in Luke 22:36. Moreover, thanks to Matthew, we know that Jesus also shamed Peter for this act of violence and told him to put away his sword, thus contradicting and disproving your argument even further.

Jesus said “Love Your Enemies “You have heard that it was said , ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy .’ But I say to you, love your enemies , bless those who curse you , do good to those who hate you , and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you , that you may be sons of your Father in heaven ; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good , and sends rain on the just and on the unjust . For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same ? And if you greet your brethren only , what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so ? therefore you shall be perfect , just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

Not very popular, because it gives up all control over your life to God.

The problem with these folks are that they have invested a lot of time and money into believing this misconception and it has taken over their entire life. They teach this nonsense to their children and the cycle continues.

It’s one thing to defend yourself and kill someone, but it is another thing to claim that Jesus told you to do it and then to deny all evidence against said claim. There is no doubt that making such claims will result in the gnashing of teeth.

This offers absolutely no proof that “to sell your sword & buy back your tallit!”. The hermeneutics used here is severely lacking. It ignores all the other passages where scripture gives examples of ppl defending themselves with weapons. IOW this conclusion is based on out of context scripture & private interpretation which we are commanded to not do.

For a claim or a teaching to be conclusive you must take into account the OT & NT scriptures. Just as God is the same yesterday, today & forever, so to will we see examples when we investigate the use of weapons & self defense. IF the claim that we are also to ‘sell our sword & buy back our tallit’ & that having a weapon means one has traded away their salvation THEN that is a departure of God’s word in many places.

However scripture shows this…

1. Exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.” Notice it does not say ‘you shall not kill at all’.

2. Exodus 22:2″If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed.” Shows that during a home invasion or break in at night there is no guilt for defending oneself, their family or their possessions.

3. 1 Samuel 13:16-23 shows the problems that occur when a nation has no swords or weapons in which to defend themselves.

4. Nehemiah 4:8-23 shows that when ppl were building the wall that the ppl had weapons to defend themselves & no rebuke or correction is given by God or His prophets.

5. Esther 8:11 “By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions…” shows that God again gave no correction or rebuke for the ppl when they were given the ok to defend themselves against wanton violence.

6. Luke 22:36-38 “Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”

38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

Notice ‘divinecoders’ states “In other words, one is effectively trading ones faith for a weapon; therefore, in turn, one is literally rejecting the offer of Salvation and attempting to bring about ones own salvation by foolishly relying upon oneself.”

HOWEVER… he/she forgets to look at verse 38 where Yeshua states ” “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” So Yeshua according to ‘divinecoder’, Yeshua is telling at least two of His disciples that they have traded their away their salvation & thats enough/good = HOGWASH! “enough” is defined in strong’s as hikanos G2425 as ‘sufficient’. So here we have ‘divinecoder’ claiming that its sufficient that ppl lose their salvation & its okay? Scripture states that God wants that NONE should perish (2 Peter 3:9 “… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentacne). So according to ‘divinecoder’ Yeshua was saying its sufficient that 2 of the 12 disciples traded away their salvation & there is no rebuke or correction? Of course not. This is proof positive that ‘divinecoders’ is NOT correctly dividing the word of God and is instead making a huge error by taking one scripture out of context & trying to make a teaching that obviously conflicts with the rest of scripture.

7. John 18:10-11″Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

‘Divinecoder’ ignores the fact that Yeshua did NOT command Simon Peter to get rid of his sword totally but to put it back into its sheath. This also shows that Simon Peter had a sword for quite some time & apparently Yeshua continued to let Simon live in sin? Of course not. This shows that there is indeed a time for everything as stated in Ecclesiastes 3:3 “A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up…” NEVER do we see where Yeshua commands anyone to totally get rid of their weapon because there is a right time to defend oneself, their family &/or loved ones.

8. Psalm 18:34 “He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.” and Psalm 144:1 “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle…” Here we see David, a man after God’s own heart training for battle; IF we were to totally not defend ourselves THEN we would see God commanding this in the OT & NT, but we do not. Again more biblical proofs that disprove ‘divinecoders’ claim/s.

9. We do not see any command to NOT defend oneself with weapons – however Yeshua does warn His followers that those who ‘live by the sword will die by the sword’ Matthew 26:52. This shows that we as believers are to not infringe on the life, liberty or possessions of others (stealing from others, killing them for their goods, etc) is not condoned & if one does it will result in their death, either hear on earth or eternal separation from God if they do not repent. So again we see this too disproves ‘divinecoders’ claim/s.

10. Psalm 82:4 “Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.” Here we see the command to defend the poor & needy with no commands to NOT use weapons. IF we were to not defend with weapons THEN we would see that in scripture, but ‘divinecoder’ is either ignorant of that or is misusing scripture to support an unbiblical teaching.

11. The NT has scriptures that tell us to take care of the orphan, the widow, the poor, our families, wife, children, the old, etc and that this act is love. So if we idly standby and NOT defend them, we are in sin. The question I ask those such as ‘divinecoder’ is this… Would you stand by and watch someone rape, torture & murder a loved one & do nothing, or would you use a weapon to stop such an assault? In light of all the scriptures the choice is clear, that we do have the ‘ok’ to do so if we choose, but please do NOT promote such a false teaching of NOT doing so because you simply took one scripture out of context.

There are more scriptures & examples but I think you get the jist – that we as believers can protect & defend with weapons. There is NO command in either the OT or NT to not do so. I hope to never have to raise a weapon against someone & use lethal force but its comforting to know that in order to protect life God does allow us to do so.

There will be a time after Yeshua’s return in which there will be no need for weapons as Isaiah 2:4 states “He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.” but until that time we do have the ability to defend ourselves.

Yes God’s word does say ‘vengence is mine’ but as we have seen we can defend ourselves with weapons and that is not vengeance.

So for those reading my reply, I fully expect ‘divinecoder’ to delete my post. I hope that he/she will not because it is supported by the whole counsel of God instead of taking one scripture out of context & use that to promote an unbiblical teaching. With that said, IF someone does not want to use a weapon THEN that is ok. There is no command that one must use a weapon. That is a personal choice, but please do not spread false teaching that we are to buy back out tallit & not choose a weapon or two in which to defend ourself. Please notice that ‘divinecoder’ made the claim that having a sword is trading away your salvation & scripture shows that Yeshua shows that is not the case. Yeshua stated when the disciples showed Him the two swords it was ‘good’. ‘Divinecoder’s’ logic would have you believe that Yeshua was claiming it was ‘good’ that at least two of His disciples traded away their salvation & that was ‘good’. See the dangers of taking one scripture out of context?

Please repent & study to show yourself approved, to RIGHTLY divide the word of God & not spread such false teaching.

Oh well I thought this site was going to be good but I guess I will move on.

Shalom

[DIVINECODERS UPDATE: The author wanted to add the following-]

BTW here is a link to my video reply in more detail to this article on youtube…
Shalom

We are afraid that, despite your passion, your answer is lacking true substance. What you offered as “proof” is purely filler to cover all of the empty space between your introduction and the only two points that you made worth addressing, which are:

1. God wants you to defend yourself with weapons.
2. Jesus thinks its OK to trade your faith for a weapon.

Before we begin, we must warn you to reconsider your stance. What you have done is no different than what the children of Israel did to Jesus, which was to place Moses above all things, including the authority of the Messiah, Jesus.

You mention that we overlooked [this] and [that]; however, you totally missed:

Matthew 5:38-39
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

It would appear, and forgive us for “interpreting” this passage, but it would appear that Jesus gave us a command to stand down.

Now, allow us to break these “proofs” down, starting with point number 1.

Exodus 20:13 (“13 Thou shalt not kill.”)
Here we see God plainly stating that we are not to take life. Thanks.

Exodus 22:2 (“2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.”)
Here we have to measure circumstances. For instance, is it OK to shoot a man in the back as he is fleeing from your house? On the other hand, if the robber breaks in and attacks you and if in the process he dies, then surely you have done nothing wrong. However, this isn’t what you and everyone else is talking about. You are talking about governments coming to your home to take away your freedoms, and with them your guns. (Orange v. Apple)

1 Samuel 13:16-23
Here we see quite a common problem where “out of context” truly shines. You must realize and fully comprehend that you are reading about the EXODUS!! You weren’t there, these words do not apply to you! The Israelites situation is totally irrelevant to our modern times, we aren’t running from captivity and trying to forge our way to Israel.

And, so the same could be said about both Nehemiah 4:8-23 and Esther 8:11.

In essence, these do not apply to you. Moreover, God did about 80% of the killing.

Point #2: Jesus thinks its OK to trade your faith for a weapon.

In this section, we will teach you something about Jesus. First off, He spoke in parables, which is to say that you might hear His words, but you might not understand them. We can see many examples of that now, in these modern times, and we can also pull more examples from the Gospel, for instance in John 21:15-17 it states:

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

But, what many people fail to realize (which is not their fault) is that Simon Peter was not replying back with the word LOVE, instead he used the word LIKE, and then finally Jesus said in His third test, Simon do you LIKE me, and Peter said, “Yes, I like you.”

Again, we see Simon Peter not quite getting the message. Still not convinced, then take a look at the Greek. Jesus asked if Peter “AGAPAS” (which is to love), but Peter responded by saying that he “PHILO” (which is to be fond of). (e.g. LIKE v LOVE)

Therefore, one should not be surprised to find many more just like this. And, we do in Luke 22:35-38 where we see Jesus testing the faith of His disciples.

True, two of those that were with Him had swords, whether they sold their garments for them or not, the scripture isn’t revealing. It is most likely that they already had the swords, as it would appear that these two men possessed their swords before Jesus said what was recorded in Luke 22:35-38. So, did they sell their tallit for a sword, the answer is, probably not. Therefore, Jesus would not need to condemn them.

Now, if they would have sold their tallit for a sword, as Jesus suggested as a test of their faith, then they would have broken a command given to them by God and that would have made them guilty and worthy of punishment.

The selling of ones “tallit” or “faith” so to replace it with a weapon is the same as knowing God and turning away from Him. This should register to you loud and clear. How we all could miss this for so long is frightening. Think of the symbolism.

Do not forget that God is love and that He desires from us to be meek. Meekness is to have strength but to withhold it. And, it is written, that the MEEK shall inherit the earth. So far, we are unable to find a single passage stating what the Vengeful receive.

Oh, wait, that’s DEATH.

Revelation 21:8

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

DIVINECODERS

Sar

October 6, 2012 at 12:52 pm

Hi divinecoder,

Thanks for the reply but you again misinterpreted Matthew 5:38-39
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

If you had done research on this phrase ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ you would have seen that Yeshua was referring to civil court matters & not self defense.

The main problem with your claim ‘trade faith for sword’ is not condoned by scripture as I have pointed out, nor is it taught by any commentator of the scriptures. Your claiming that Yeshua tempted His disciples & stated it was sufficient that2 lost their salvation by having two swords with no rebuke.

Never do we see such ‘testing’ as you claim. The fact that you claim 2 lost their salvation because they had swords is lacking at best & dangerous if carried out to the extreme.

Its obvious you will not heed scripture or repent of using scriptures out of context to support an unbiblical doctrine/teaching of man. Thats all I have to say in this discussion.

Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth is more than a Jewish Law, it is also a concept that Jesus destroyed by stating what was recorded in Matthew 5:38-39. The concept of retrieving debts has been squashed by the Lord’s prayer, lest you be a hypocrite.

“Forgive my trespasses, as I FORGIVE those who trespass against ME.”

So, when someone tries to infringe upon your rights, then you will attack them rather than forgive them? Is this how you want God to deal with you? You better think twice.

You wonder why NO ONE preaches this truth? Because it isn’t popular! It doesn’t make you feel good.

As for the salvation of the two, we are not seeking the death penalty in this case, in fact, we free these men of any wrong doing, as it was stated before that it is likely that they did not sell their tallit for a sword, rather they already owned the swords.

The point we were trying to make is that NONE of them understood the message!